Seal installation guide sleeve

ABSTRACT

A seal installation guide sleeve for installing a radial lip seal onto a shaft. The radial lip seal includes a flexible sealing lip. The guide sleeve includes a cylindrical lip engaging surface, and includes an annular flange portion extending from the cylindrical lip engaging surface. The guide sleeve also includes a plurality of tabs extending from the annular flange portion. The guide sleeve is pre-installed in the radial lip seal such that the flexible sealing lip engages the cylindrical lip engaging surface, thereby protecting the flexible sealing lip from damage as the radial lip seal is installed onto the shaft.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/219,242, filed Mar. 19, 2014, and entitled,“SEAL INSTALLATION GUIDE SLEEVE,” the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a seal installation guide sleeve. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to a seal installationguide sleeve for installing a radial lip seal onto a shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Radial lip seals are used in many locations in typical drivetrains. Oneproblem sometimes associated with radial lip seals is that anelastomeric lip thereof may be scratched, cut, or torn as it isinstalled (i.e., slid) over a shaft with splines or grooves. To preventsuch damage, a steel assembly cone may be placed over the shaft so as toprotect the radial lip seal. The assembly cone, however, tends to becomeworn as it is used and handled, resulting in damage thereto. And whenthe assembly cone is damaged, it tends to harm the radial lip seal,rather than protect it. Often times, it is difficult to regularlymonitor the assembly cone for such damage, and even if the damage isspotted, assemblers may be too busy to make repairs. Another issueassociated with the assembly cone is that as the radial lip seal is slidover it, a flexible sealing lip of the radial lip seal may rollbackwards, resulting in poor assembly quality and sealing performance.And yet another issue associated with the assembly cone is that theassembler may install the radial lip seal backwards, again resulting inpoor assembly quality and sealing performance.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Disclosed is a seal installation guide sleeve for installing a radiallip seal onto a shaft. The radial lip seal includes a flexible sealinglip. The guide sleeve includes a cylindrical lip engaging surface, andincludes an annular flange portion extending from the cylindrical lipengaging surface. The guide sleeve also includes a plurality of tabsextending from the annular flange portion. The guide sleeve ispre-installed in the radial lip seal such that the flexible sealing lipengages the cylindrical lip engaging surface, thereby protecting theflexible sealing lip from damage as the radial lip seal is installedonto the shaft.

Using the guide seal eliminates the need for an assembly cone and theissues associated therewith. For example, using the guide sleeveprevents rolling of the flexible sealing lip of the radial lip sealduring installation thereof. And, additionally, using the guide sleeveprevents assemblers from installing the lip seal backwards, as a resultof the insertion of the seal installation guide sleeve into the radiallip seal being intuitively in one direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanyingfigures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seal installation guide sleeve;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a radial lip seal for use with theinstallation guide sleeve;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guide sleeve positioned in theradial lip seal;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the installation tool being used toinstall the radial lip seal using the guide sleeve;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4,of the installation tool being used to install the radial lip seal usingthe guide sleeve;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an installation tool adapted for usewith the guide sleeve; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method for installing the radial lip sealonto a shaft using the seal installation guide sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, there is disclosed a seal installation guidesleeve 10 for installing a radial lip seal 24 onto a shaft 38. Theradial lip seal 24 includes a flexible sealing lip 30. The guide sleeve10 includes a cylindrical lip engaging surface 12, and includes anannular flange portion 14 extending from the cylindrical lip engagingsurface 12. The guide sleeve 10 also includes a plurality of tabs 16extending from the annular flange portion 14. The guide sleeve 10 ispre-installed in the radial lip seal 24 such that the flexible sealinglip 30 engages the cylindrical lip engaging surface 12, therebyprotecting the flexible sealing lip 30 from damage as the radial lipseal 24 is installed onto the shaft 38. A rubber dust excluder (notshown) may be positioned on an opposite side of the radial lip seal 24,as compared to a side on which the flexible sealing lip 30 ispositioned. The guide sleeve 10 is provided so that it may bepre-installed into the radial lip seal 24, prior to being placed on theshaft 38. The guide sleeve 10 sits under the radial lip seal 24, so asto protect it from any harmful features that may be on the shaft 38(e.g., burrs, splines, steps). After the radial lip seal 24 is installedinto a housing 48 (e.g., a PTO housing), for example, the guide sleeve10 is removed and either thrown away, recycled, or reused, depending onthe specific manufacturing process.

As illustrated, the plurality of tabs 16 may be three tabs spaced 120°apart from one another. In another example, the plurality of tabs 16 maybe just two tabs spaced 180° apart from one another. Two tabs may allowan operator to remove the guide sleeve 10 manually with his or herhands, rather than with an installation tool 32, for example.Ultimately, the plurality of tabs 16 may be any other number of tabs,depending on, for example, the kind of installation tool 32 or assemblyprocess.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of tabs 16 are all beorientated in a same direction relative to an axis 46 defined by thecylindrical lip engaging surface 12. The plurality of tabs 16 may eachinclude a first leg 20 engaged to the annular flange portion 14, and asecond leg 22 angularly disposed from the first leg 20. As illustrated,the first leg 20 and the second leg 22 may be angularly disposed 90°relative to one another, though in other embodiments, they may beoriented differently. Exemplarily, the plurality of second legs 22 maybe perpendicular to the axis 46.

During installation of the radial lip seal 24, the plurality of tabs 16matingly engage a plurality of lugs 34 of the installation tool 32. Asshown, the plurality of tabs 16 and the lugs 34 may engage one anotherby rotating the installation tool 32. And in contrast, the guide sleeve10 may then readily removed from the installation tool 32 by rotatingthe installation tool 32 relative to the guide sleeve 10, allowing thetabs 16 to disengage the lugs 34. The guide sleeve 10 may bemanufactured from a recyclable material, such as polypropylene, to namejust one example. Regardless of the material used, the guide sleeve 10may either reused, thrown away, or recycled, depending on the specificmanufacturing process.

An inner diametrical surface 42 of the cylindrical lip engaging surface12 may not radially overlap any radial inner portions of the pluralityof tabs 16. Otherwise, as the guide sleeve 10 is installed onto theshaft 38, the plurality of tabs 16 and the shaft 38 may interfere withone another, thereby preventing the installation of the radial lip seal24. Additionally, an outer diametrical surface 44 of the cylindrical lipengaging surface 12 may be a substantially smooth surface, asubstantially smooth surface being one that does not damage the radiallip seal 24 during installation thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the radial lip seal 24 includes a rigid cupshaped body 26 with a concentric bore 28 therein. The size of the cupshaped body 26 is selected, so that it may be press fit within a bore 40of corresponding size, while the flexible sealing lip 30 is selected, sothat it may fit in sealing engagement with a shaft 38. As shown, thesize of the guide sleeve 10 is selected to closely approximate, butslidingly fit over, a circumferential surface of the shaft 38.Therefore, when the guide sleeve 10 is preassembled to the radial lipseal 24, as shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical lip engaging surface 12pre-deforms the flexible sealing lip 30.

Referring to FIG. 6, the lugs 34 engage the tabs 16 of the guide sleeve10, and a pressing surface 36 engages the face of the radial lip seal 24by way of the annular flange portion 14. In the embodiment shown, thetabs 16 act as the pressing surface 36. During installation, theinstallation tool 32 presses the radial lip seal 24 and the guide sleeve10, and ultimately presses the combination over the shaft 38. Thepressing surface 36 presses the radial lip seal 24 into the bore 40. Theguide sleeve 10 protects the flexible sealing lip 30 from damage by theshaft 38 and allows the radial lip seal 24 to readily slide over theshaft 38. Once the radial lip seal 24 is pressed into the bore 40, theinstallation tool 32, with the guide sleeve 10 still affixed thereto, iswithdrawn leaving behind the radial lip seal 24 in the bore 40.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a method 80 for installing theradial lip seal 24 onto the shaft 38, using the guide sleeve 10. In act82, a step of pre-installing includes sliding the guide sleeve 10 intothe radial lip seal 24, and in act 84, the pre-installing includespressing the annular flange portion 14 against the radial lip seal 24.Act 86 of the method 80 includes sliding the guide sleeve 10 and theradial lip seal 24 onto the shaft 38. Act 88 includes pressing theradial lip seal 24 against the housing 48. The sliding of the guidesleeve 10 may be completed via the installation tool 32 or by hand,depending on the specific installation procedure.

In act 90, a step of disengaging includes engaging the plurality of tabs16 with a plurality of lugs 34 of the installation tool 32 by rotatingthe installation tool 32 (e.g., counterclockwise, in the embodimentshown). In act 92, the disengaging includes sliding the guide sleeve 10out of the radial lip seal 24 and sliding the guide sleeve 10 off of theshaft 38. In act 94, the disengaging includes disengaging the pluralityof tabs 16 from the plurality of lugs 34 by rotating the installationtool 32 (e.g., clockwise, in the embodiment shown). The direction ofrotation in act 94 is opposite of the direction of rotation in act 90.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description isto be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it beingunderstood that illustrative embodiments have been shown and describedand that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit ofthe disclosure are desired to be protected. It will be noted thatalternative embodiments of the present disclosure may not include all ofthe features described yet still benefit from at least some of theadvantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art mayreadily devise their own implementations that incorporate one or more ofthe features of the present disclosure and fall within the spirit andscope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seal installation guide sleeve for installing aradial lip seal onto a shaft via an installation tool comprising aplurality of lugs, the radial lip seal comprising a flexible sealinglip, the guide sleeve comprising: a cylindrical lip engaging surface; anannular flange portion extending from the cylindrical lip engagingsurface; and a plurality of tabs extending from the annular flangeportion, each of the tabs having a first leg extending axially from theannular flange portion and a second leg angularly disposed from thefirst leg, each of the lugs having an axially extending third leg and afourth leg angularly disposed from the third leg, the second legs of theplurality of tabs facing respectively the fourth legs of the pluralityof lugs when the guide sleeve and the installation tool are engaged, theguide sleeve configured to be pre-installed in the radial lip seal suchthat the flexible sealing lip engages the cylindrical lip engagingsurface, thereby protecting the flexible sealing lip from damage as theradial lip seal is installed onto the shaft.
 2. The seal installationguide sleeve of claim 1, wherein the guide sleeve has three tabs spaced120° apart from one another.
 3. The seal installation guide sleeve ofclaim 1, wherein the guide sleeve has two tabs space 180° apart from oneanother.
 4. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein aninner diametrical surface of the cylindrical lip engaging surface doesnot radially overlap any radial inner portions of the plurality of tabs.5. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein an outerdiametrical surface of the cylindrical lip engaging surface is a smoothsurface.
 6. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein theguide sleeve is manufactured from a recyclable material.
 7. The sealinstallation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein the guide sleeve ismanufactured from polypropylene.
 8. The seal installation guide sleeveof claim 1, wherein the plurality of tabs are configured to matinglyengage a plurality of lugs of an installation tool by rotating theinstallation tool.
 9. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim 1,wherein the first leg and the second leg are angularly disposed 90°relative to one another.
 10. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim1, wherein the plurality of second legs are perpendicular to an axisdefined by the cylindrical lip engaging surface.
 11. The sealinstallation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein the guide sleeve isconfigured to be pre-installed in the radial lip seal via the fourthlegs of the lugs pressing the annular flange portion.
 12. The sealinstallation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein the guide sleeve isconfigured to be disengaged from the radial lip seal when the radial lipseal is installed onto the shaft.
 13. The seal installation guide sleeveof claim 12, wherein the guide sleeve is configured to be disengagedfrom the radial lip seal via the fourth legs of the lugs pulling on thesecond legs.
 14. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim 13, whereinthe second legs contact respectively the fourth legs when the guidesleeve and the installation tool are engaged.
 15. The seal installationguide sleeve of claim 11, wherein the annular flange portion contactsthe fourth legs when the guide sleeve and the installation tool areengaged.
 16. The seal installation guide sleeve of claim 1, wherein thesecond leg of each of the tabs and the annular flange portion cooperateto receive therebetween a respective one of the fourth legs when theguide sleeve and the installation tool are engaged.